"Friday Fun" is a hands-on program for preschoolers, ages 3-6 years and their parents or guardians. The program will be offered at no charge every Friday of every month from 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon. Best to register on Tuesday morning for that week's Friday Fun program. The program will incorporate story time, science, art and a tour emphasizing the chosen topic. Some weeks there will also be potting or other activities. The topics emphasize respect for all living things and prepare the children (and parents) to be good stewards of the planet. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 20 children. Free! Donations accepted. To register and for more information please contact the Madrona Marsh Nature Center at 310-782-3989.

These days potential catastrophes are everywhere you look. You can’t go outside or turn on the TV without reports of the world coming to an ‘End’ - global climate collapsing or terrorists planning new attacks. The world is so full of danger, threats, stress, overload and insecurity. Assuming that we, against all odds, survive the terrifying pitfalls of the future, is creativity going to be the thing that saves us? Will our imagination become an escape route, a place where we can hide, or will it be the one thing that forcefully confronts us with the truth and gives us the strength needed to make a change? What kind of art would a generation of unlikely survivors produce and where would they find their inspiration? What influence would surviving a catastrophe have on our values, ethics and our perception of truth and how might this situation visualize itself in the art of the future? This pressure coming from a hyper tense society of doom is having a massive impact on the art being produced by the artists who manage to keep up their practice and it is forcing others to remain passive or paralyzed while waiting for a change of current that may never come.

A little friendly and interactive competition! TeenZone is a series of interactive and entertaining programs designed specifically for teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Torrance Library. Please call the Youth Services Department at 310-618-5964 for details.